Give us a call at 780-217-0059 or send us an e-mail at tlarone@arashido.com for more information on joining our team and see the life-changing benefits of training in jiu-jitsu for yourself!

When it comes to the effectiveness of BJJ, many people would say that it’s the techniques that are the key. While this is true, it is incomplete. There are many other styles that teach the same or similar techniques to BJJ but do not have the same track record in MMA or open combat. The key is how these techniques are shaped and sharpened by drilling them against full resistance, and testing them in tournaments against unfamiliar opponents. In this way, it is actually the sport component of BJJ that makes it so effective for self-defense. This means the true value of BJJ is in your training partners. Here are a few tips for taking good care of them:

Understand who the drill is for. In BJJ drilling, usually the drill is more for one person than the other, and you must be sensitive to this. If the class is about mount escapes, it is not the time for you to completely shut down your partner and show how awesome you are at holding mount. It’s easy to counter when you know exactly what the person is supposed to be doing. Let them work through the technique and let the instructor tell you when it’s time to fight.

Focus on improvement. This may seem obvious, but it isn’t. There is a big difference between focusing on getting better, and focusing on showing how good you already are. If you always drill the things you’re already good at and spend all your time rolling in the positions you like, it’s easy to fall into a rut. It’s good every few weeks to assess where you’re feeling good and where you could use improvement, and make an effort to put yourself in those positions you don’t like as much to get better at them.

Communicate. If you have a neck injury or bad knee, don’t be afraid to tell your partner. It is true that BJJ is a tough sport, little aches and pains are always going to be there and you’ll have to work through them but if something is on the edge where you can train with it but it’s at higher risk for further injury, it’s important for your training partner to know. The whole team gets better when everyone stays on the mat and keeps training.

Give us a call at 780-217-0059 or send us an e-mail at tlarone@arashido.com for more information on joining our team and see the life-changing benefits of training in jiu-jitsu for yourself!

Guard pulling in Jiu-Jitsu is a polarizing topic and usually goes hand in hand with the debate over whether Jiu-Jitsu is headed down the path of becoming just another sport martial art with no basis in self defense. It’s clear that in a street fight, you don’t want to be fighting from your back on the concrete no matter how good you are at it. If you are put there, you use the skills of Jiu-Jitsu to return to your feet and preferably put the opponent on the ground.

I find myself stuck in the middle. I personally never pull guard and will always teach my students takedowns first, and always emphasize that in self defense you stay on your feet if at all possible. However, I do think it’s important to recognize that pulling guard may be the best strategy for certain types of fighters, especially in lower weight divisions and success in competition is important as well. If one of my students wants to pull guard, I only ask the following:

Pull guard AGGRESSIVELY. Make sure when you go to the ground, the opponent is off-balance and a step behind so you can immediately attack with a sweep or submission.

Train takedowns as well. Pull guard because it’s where you’re most dangerous, not because you don’t know how to do anything else.

Get the RIGHT grips. Don’t be in such a rush to get the fight to the ground that you take whatever grips you get first. The grips you pull guard with should be the ones you need for the sweep or submission you’re going for immediately afterward.

Give us a call at 780-217-0059 or send us an e-mail at tlarone@arashido.com for more information on joining our team and see the life-changing benefits of training in jiu-jitsu for yourself!

Another year, another great #MindBodySoul tournament. The St. Albert dojo has always had great Jiu-Jitsu competitors but I was also very proud to field four competitors for kickboxing, all of whom did a great job! I was busy reffing most of the day so unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of my own but here are some I collected last night from friends, family and teammates:

Give us a call at 780-217-0059 or send us an e-mail at tlarone@arashido.com for more information on joining our team and see the life-changing benefits of training in jiu-jitsu for yourself!

Mind Body Soul is coming up and pre-registration is open! MBS is one of Alberta’s oldest tournaments and one of the largest in Canada. Smaller tournaments are nice for a more relaxed atmosphere, but the major advantage of a larger tournament is that more participants = fairer divisions. You’re much more likely to be fighting people your experience and size at a tournament like Mind Body Soul, which is why it’s such a fan favourite. Check out the details at www.albertabjj.com !

Last week we brought three of our juniors to the CBJJF Alberta Provincial Championships and Ethan, Emma and Natalya all put up fantastic performances, taking home a total of four gold medals and one bronze! All three also did a great job of executing their gameplans and staying on task under pressure, the mark of all great competitors. We now set our sights on Mind Body Soul where we will hopefully be bringing a huge team!

Give us a call at 780-217-0059 or send us an e-mail at tlarone@arashido.com for more information on joining our team and see the life-changing benefits of training in jiu-jitsu for yourself!

This past weekend Arashi-Do was once again fortunate enough to host the head of our affiliation and a true legend of Jiu-Jitsu, Mestre Sylvio Behring. Over the course of the weekend, many of our students were tested on their skills and participated in several seminars on a wide range of topics from self-defense to competition. Arashi-Do St. Albert was out in force and everyone did very well! Here are just some of the amazing moments from the various sessions:

The 4-7 group listening intently as Mestre Behring explains the next drill

Mestre Behring makes an adjustment to Mateo’s positioning

Sarah and Antoine taking part in the Junior BJJ Seminar

The 8-10 group (many with newly minted belts!) pose with a very proud Professor Tyson

Professor Tyson with the second crop of juniors, including St. Albert’s first yellow belt

Masa and Danya preparing for a race to standing in one of Mestre Behring’s drills

New Gray/White belts Deegan and Drayson sharing the moment with Mestre Behring

A tough test, and worth every moment! Congratulations to everyone who received stripes from the adult class

No better way to cap off the weekend than a record attendance for the Women and Teen Girls seminar with Mestre Behring and Professor Tyson, with lots of help with monitors from a wide range of schools. Can’t wait till next time!